A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I, Part 34

Author: Perry F. Powers
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 597


USA > Michigan > A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I > Part 34


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES


In the fall of 1861 a small log house was erected on the bank of Pine lake about fifteen rods south of where the Belvidere House after- ward stood, on the Charlevoix resort grounds, and in the following winter Mrs. M. J. Stockman, who lived on the south side of Round lake, opened it as the first school in the village. Her salary was one dollar per week. In the fall of 1867 the first frame schoolhouse was built at the corner of State and Antrim streets to accommodate the children of the dozen white families which the village and vicinity then em- braced. In 1873 a good building for the Union school was erected, and from that time on the public system of education, both of village and city, has developed along modern lines. Charlevoix at the present time has a handsome Central school and two well built ward schools.


Religious life had its birth in Charlevoix long before the village had a corporate existence. Its first Sunday school was organized in the fall of 1859 by Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Dixon. Their children attended it, as well as those of S. F. Mason, Medad Thompson and Hugh Miller-ten scholars in all. Meetings were held in the Dixon log house near Pine lake


The Methodists organized their first class at A. D. Brady's, town of Marion, in the summer of 1867, and in the fall of that year the village of Charlevoix was made the head of a circuit. In January, 1868, a class of seventeen was formed in the village of Charlevoix, and a church building was completed in August, 1877.


The Congregationalists got together in 1866-7 and in the fall of 1879 commenced to hold regular services under Rev. N. L. Otis in the schoolhouse. The cause was weak for a time but revived in 1882, and the church organization has since been continuous.


Church activities at Charlevoix are now represented by societies of Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists, Catholics and Episcopalians.


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BANKS


The Bank of Charlevoix, established in September, 1882, was the first institution of the kind founded in the county. For some years the business was carried on by Lewis Reynolds and W. P. Brown, under the firm name of Reynolds & Brown.


In July, 1883, the Merchants and Farmers Bank was established by the firm of Buttars, Upright & Company, with A. Buttars as presi- dent, A. R. Upright vice-president and G. S. Thomas cashier. In the following year the bank was reorganized under state laws and has since been known as the Charlevoix County Bank. Its assets are $250,- 000; responsibility, $100,000; and officers: John Nicholls, president ; Harry Nicholls, vice-president and A. Buttars, cashier.


The Charlevoix State Savings Bank was established in 1905. Pres- ent officers : R. P. Foley, president; G. C. Geiken and H. S. Harsha, vice-presidents, and W. J. Rachow, cashier. Its total resources amount to $203,885 ; paid-in capital stock, $25,000; surplus and undivided prof- its, $4,886; deposits, $173,992.73.


BOYNE CITY


Boyne City is a stanch little municipality of five thousand people, lying at the head of Pine lake and the mouth of Pine river, having rail- way connections through the Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena line. It was incorporated in 1907, is lighted by electricity and has a perfect natural drainage supplemented by a fine sewerage system. Boyne City has well paved streets, lined with substantial business houses and resi- dences, and a natural-gravity system of water works which furnishes an abundant supply for both domestic and industrial purposes. In the hills north and south of the city are the flowing wells and living springs from which are drawn the splendid water supply through sixteen miles of mains connected with two reservoirs. The mean pressure for the ordinary water supply is twenty-seven pounds to the square inch; for fire purposes a special reservoir is provided, which, when connected with the mains, raises the pressure to one hundred and fifteen pounds.


The industries of Boyne City are various and many of them im- portant. Its hardwood lumber mill, shingle plant, chemical works, sole leather tannery and brick yards are leading manufactories, and the car shops of the Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad add to the still growing list of establishments. Flooring, veneer, boxes and bas- kets and wooden ware are also made and shipped.


The industries and trade of Boyne City are financially handled through two banks. The First National is the only national institution of the kind in Charlevoix county. It is capitalized at $50,000; has a surplus of $10,000; and is officered by W. H. White as president, W. S. Shaw, vice-president and S. C. Smith, cashier.


The People's Bank, established in 1907, is a private institution whose responsibility is placed at $500,000.


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The settlement of what is now Boyne City commenced when John Miller took up land for a farm at the head of Pine lake in 1856.


In 1869 the postoffice of Boyne was established and Mr. Miller was appointed postmaster. The office was kept at his house; the mail route at that time extended from Traverse City to Cheboygan.


About the year 1871 Messrs. Esterly & Co. purchased the tract of land at the mouth of Boyne river with the intention of laying out a town. Circumstances prevented them from doing so and the site re- mained unoccupied, with the exception of one log house, until the orig- inal part of the Pine Lake House was built in 1874.


In 1879 Messrs. Nicholls & Morgan platted a large addition, called South Boyne, which was afterward incorporated into the village. It was in this section that the Cobb property was situated. During the years 1879 and 1880 the place began to develop, and almost the entire growth of the village has been since that time. Developments came so rapidly and continuously that the village was incorporated in 1885.


In the meantime both educational and religious forces had entered into the development of the growing community. The first school was opened in a board shanty on Hugh R. Miller's farm and School Frac- tional No. 1 was organized in 1870 with that gentleman as director. In 1871 Miss Mariette Hicks commenced to teach the first public school in that building. In 1874 the school was moved to a log building near the shore of the lake, in what was afterward South Boyne. This property, including fifty-eight acres of school land, was sold in 1879 to a Mr. Cobb who made the purchase in order to establish a summer resort there. After the property was sold to him a good frame school- house was built, which was replaced by the first brick structure devoted to school purposes in 1883. It was a two-story building and was pro- nounced at the time as "by far the finest school building in Charlevoix county."


With a fine Central and High school and abundant provision to ac- commodate pupils in the four wards of the municipality, Boyne City would now smile over this enthusiastic statement.


The church history of the city commences with the organization of the South Arm charge by the Methodists in September, 1873, with Rev. A. G. Wiggins as pastor in charge and Robert Thompson leader. Meet- ings were held at Mr. Thompson's house until 1875, when, under the care of Rev. Thomas Pierce, they were transferred to a log house in the village of Boyne. The present Boyne charge was formed in 1876 by Rev. D. H. Pierce. Presbyterian services were first held at Boyne by Rev. J. Beardsley in 1878. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics and Evangelical denominations are now part of the religious life of Boyne City.


EAST JORDAN


A flourishing and growing village of more than twenty-five hun- dred people. at the extremity of the South Arm of Pine lake on its


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eastern shores, East Jordan is one of the three leading centers of pop- ulation in Charlevoix county.


W. F. Empey was the first settler at this point. He was born in Canada in the year 1840. In 1866 he came to Michigan, although he had previously been in the states. For several years he was connected with the lumbering interests and had traveled over this part of the state locating pine land for a Toledo firm. In 1874 he built a store on the eastern shore of the South Arm, and the following year began put- ting up the first building on the present site of East Jordan for a store. About this time a blacksmith named John Vote came along and Mr. Empey induced him to locate here. He built a block building for a shop upon a lot opposite the future site of the Jordan River House, but he only remained a short time.


In June, 1877, a postoffice was established and Mr. Empey was ap- pointed postmaster. When the office was about to be established the question of a name for the settlement came up. Mr. Empey sent a number of names to the department, but they were rejected on account of there being other offices having the same; at last he sent among others that of East Jordan, which was adopted. Mr. Empey carried on his store also handled wood and bark and engaged in farming. In the fall of 1883 his store building was destroyed by fire.


The lumber mills of East Jordan "made the town." The first to be established there was that of Joseph C. Glenn, in 1879, and it was the pioneer mill above Charlevoix on Pine lake. It was small, but suc- cessful because it had the right man behind it. Soon after its establish- ment W. P. Porter bought an interest in both mill and general store, and the business was thus conducted until 1888, when Mr. Glenn sold all his interests to Ames & Frost of Chicago. Thereupon was organized the East Jordan Lumber Company, which has been a never-failing source of strength and prosperity to the community. It has not only aided in the local advancement, but the corporation has been the means of developing fine fruit and farming lands in the county and the Grand Traverse region generally. It operates two sawmills and a large maple flooring plant at East Jordan and draws its lumber sup- plies from large tracts of both soft and hardwood lands which it owns in Charlevoix, Antrim, Kalkaska and Otsego counties. The East Jordan Lumber Company is one of those up-to-date concerns in Northern Mich- igan which has had the foresight to push the sale of its cleared lands for farming and fruit-raising purposes.


The original plant of the East Jordan Lumber Company was erected on the west side of the South Arm, and in the eighties other sawmills followed its example. Stoppel & Company and Empey & Palmiter in- stalled plants in that locality. In 1890 the sawmill of the former concern was purchased by the East Jordan Lumber Company and be- came its B mill. Later the Empey mill was moved away and on its site the East Jordan Company put up a plant for sawing cedar shingles.


On the west side, also, John Monroe, Sr., erected a sawmill which was purchased and operated by the South Arm Lumber Company until it burned in 1902. The Willson Hoop Company also operated at East Vol. I-19


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Jordan for a number of years what was then the largest hoop factory in the country, but the lack of elm stock caused it to discontinue about ten years ago.


What is now known as East Jordan Station was formerly the vil- lage of South Arm, on the west side of the Arm. Its first industry was the lumber mill carried on by Nelson, Redington & Company. The name of Nelsonville was given to this locality, and in May, 1869 a postoffice was established about a mile from the present site of the village, and Mr. D. C. Nettleton, now of Charlevoix, was postmaster. At an early


MainsE.


EAT Jersin


MAIN STREET, EAST JORDAN


day Amose Williams, a character already mentioned, had squatted in this vicinity. Mr. Nettleton kept the postoffice a short time, and then removed to Charlevoix. The office was removed to Intermediate. At this time Charlevoix county was just beginning to be settled. Pine river was only a diminutive settlement, and the "head of the Arm" was far away in the wilderness.


The present industries of East Jordan are flourishing and their future assured. The East Jordan Lumber Company continues to be in the foreground. As the headquarters of the East Jordan & South- ern Railroad, which commenced operation in October, 1891, there are well-equipped machine and car-repair shops at this point. There are also cooperage and box factories and planing mills; flour mills and chemical works and enterprises are under way and likely to result in the establishment of several iron and brass foundries.


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The State Bank of East Jordan was the first financial institution organized in the village, having been founded by George B. Martin as a private enterprise in 1886. In 1891 Mr. Martin was succeeded by R. R. Glenn, who conducted it with Alex Bush until the former's death in 1895. This organization was succeeded by Glenn & Company in 1897, Mr. Bush retiring and being succeeded by George G. Glenn. In July, 1901, the bank was reorganized as a state institution with a cap- ital of $20,000, with Joseph C. Glenn president, W. L. French vice-presi- dent and George G. Glenn cashier. The building which the bank oc- cupies was erected in 1899. In 1909 the capital was increased to $50,-


SCENE ON THE RIVER JORDAN


000, as at present. Its surplus and undivided profits amount to $5,000; its total resources, $306,543; deposits, $251,460.


The People's State Savings Bank of East Jordan was established in October, 1910. It has a capital stock of $25,000 and its surplus and undivided profits amount to $1,622. W. P. Squier is its president and R. O. Bisbee, cashier.


East Jordan owns its water works, the municipal plant, which is under the control of the mayor and two commissioners, having been erected in 1896. The village is furnished with light and power by a good plant operated by a private company. As will be correctly inferred from the above, East Jordan is having its initial experience of the commission form of municipal government, having been incorporated as such in July, 1911. Its commissioners are heads of three depart- ments comprising (1) Public Utilities, (2) Streets and Sewers and (3) Finance, Health and Sanitation.


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The public system of education embraces a Central school, in which is the High school, and the West Side and Jordan River buildings. East Jordan has a number of churches, the leading religious organiza- tions being St. Joseph Cathoile, Methodist, Presbyterian and Norwegian Lutheran. There are also societies of Episcopalians and Latter Day Saints.


The secret and benevolent societies of the place flourish in the shape of large lodges of Masons, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows, with numerous minor organizations.


OTHER COUNTY COMMUNITIES


Boyne Falls, the second incorporated village in the county, was brought into existence by the construction of the Grand Rapids & In- diana Railroad. The town of Boyne Valley was organized in 1873 and in the spring of 1874 the railroad commenced operations. Boyne Falls was incorporated as a village in 1893. It is located on the Boyne river and has railway accommodations through the Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena and the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroads. A good graded public school, three churches, a well organized public bank and a growing trade with the surrounding country, describe the status of this little village of three or four hundred people.


Norwood, on the shore of Grand Traverse bay in the township by that name, and Ironton, on Pine lake in Eveline township, are small shipping centers, but rather interesting historically. Norwood, eleven miles southwest of Charlevoix was settled as early as 1866. A dock and sawmill were built and at one time it promised to become quite a lum- ber point. Ironton, on the other hand, did develop into a lively indus- trial place in the early eighties, through the operations of the Pine Lake Iron Company. Operations were commenced in 1879, but actual manufacturing was not realized until 1881. A few years afterwards the company were employing over two hundred men; but lack of sup- port and transportation facilities and distance from profitable markets caused the enterprise to fail and Ironton to disappear as an industrial community.


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CHAPTER XI


EMMET COUNTY


POPULATION AND PROPERTY-ORGANIC HISTORY-PHYSICAL FEATURES- EARLY HISTORY OF EMMET COUNTY-THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION -PETOSKEY, THE COUNTY SEAT-IGNATIUS PETOSKEY-BEGINNING OF THE VILLAGE-AS VILLAGE AND CITY-HARBOR SPRINGS-BAY VIEW-OTHER VILLAGES AND STATIONS.


Emmet county is one of the star summer resort sections of the north- west, and it is but necessary to mention Petoskey, Harbor Springs and Bay View to prove the positive statement. Its central region in this regard is Little Traverse bay, which deeply indents its coast from the west. This beautiful bay extends inland from the coast line of Lake Michigan about nine miles, and is six miles broad at its mouth. The water is clear and pure, and contains great quantities of fish. The


CROOKED RIVER, INLAND WATER ROUTE


scenery about the bay is romantic and the whole region is full of legend- ary interest. Upon the north and south shore are the villages of Har- bor Springs and Petoskey and Harbor Point. We-que-ton-sing and Bay View are famous summer resorts. The beauties of this region have been told in prose and verse by numerous writers who have visited the locality and experienced an ecstasy of delight at what they beheld. The Indian name is We-que-ton-sing, meaning a small bay. A few miles east of Little Traverse bay are Crooked lake and river, the


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western terminus of the inland water route which connects the Grand Traverse and Cheboygan regions.


The country around Little Traverse bay, as well as the coast to the north, is also identified with the Indian and missionary history of Northern Michigan, Little Traverse (Harbor Springs), Seven Mile Point, Middle Village, Cross Village and L'Abre Croche all carry with them the shadows and the sunshine of Indian romance; reminders of the vanished Ottawas and Chippewas, the long-gone fathers of Catholi- cism and Protestantism. Emmet county even embraces a fraction of old Mackinaw City, the oldest settlement in the Lower Peninsula, al- though the bulk of it lies in Mackinaw township, Cheboygan county.


POPULATION AND PROPERTY


There are few counties in Northern Michigan which have increased so rapidly in population within the past two decades as Emmet. The best picture of its growth in that regard is furnished by the United States census reports for 1890, 1900 and 1910, which are reproduced in detail.


Civil Divisions


1910


1900


1890


Bear Creek township


1,630


1,387


1,153


Bliss township


694


704


202


Carp Lake township, including part of Mackinaw City village


847


561


236


Mackinaw City village (part of)


126


98


Center township


441


636


219


Cross township


600


544


484


Friendship township


487


369


305


Littlefield township, including Alanson village.


1,055


877


343


Alanson village


473


Little


Traverse township, including


Harbor


Springs village


2,268


2,152


1,488


Harbor Springs village


1,805


1,643


1,052


McKinley township, including Pellston . village Pellston village


2,120


354


140


Maple River township


759


516


603


Petoskey City


4,778


5,285


2,872


Ward 1


1,203


Ward 2


1,323


Ward 3


1,018


Ward 4


1,234


Pleasant View township


429


341


278


Readmond township


600


479


433


Resort township


780


752


Springvale township


737


630


West Traverse township


336


344


Totals


18,561


15,931


8,756


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As equalized by the board of review, the value of real and personal property in the county is given below :


Civil Divisions


Acres


As Equalized


Bear Creek


25,727.57


$ 936,002


Bliss


22,432.15


163,081


Carp Lake


30,654.20


209.518


Center


22,370.70


155,775


Cross Village


6,353.26


96,660


McKinley


22,181.21


417,315


Friendship


24,464.46


181,200


Littlefield


13,680.58


227,436


Little Traverse


11,179.82


1,222,220


Maple River


22,733.32


175,710


Readmond


19,870.74


177,906


Resort


13,259.00


370,686


Pleasant View


22,921.47


155,560


Springvale


28,004.07


182,845


West Traverse


8,287.35


363,185


City of Petoskey


2,965,004


Totals


294,120.10


$8,000,103


ORGANIC HISTORY


Emmet had its origin in the counties of Tonedagana and Kishkonko, which were among the original divisions of Northern Michigan made in 1840. In 1843 these names were changed to Emmet and Charlevoix, which remained unorganized and attached to the old county of Michili- mackinac until 1853.


In 1847 the township of Peaine was erected, embracing the territory of the Beaver islands. In the course of that year three meetings were held to elect town officers, but did not succeed in effecting a regular or- ganization. In 1851 the Mormons elected all the officers and had full control of affairs.


In the winter of 1853 James J. Strang, the Mormon leader, was a member of the state legislature and succeeded in securing the passage of a bill uniting the counties of Emmet and Charlevoix and organizing them under the name of Emmet. The act so far as it related to county organ- ization is as follows: "The people of the state of Michigan enact : That the county of Emmet shall be organized and the inhabitants thereof en- titled to all the rights, privileges and immunities to which by law the inhabitants of other organized counties of this state are entitled.


"There shall be elected in the said county of Emmet, on the first Tuesday of May next, all the several county officers to which by law said county is entitled; and said election and the canvass shall in all respects be conducted and held in the manner prescribed by law for holding elec- tions and canvassers for county and state officers: Provided, That the


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canvass shall be held at the village of St. James, in said county, on the Monday next following said election; and said county officers shall immediately be qualified and enter upon the duties of their respective offices, and their several terms of office shall expire at the same time that they would have expired had they been elected at the last general elec- tion.


"And provided further, That until such county officers are elected and qualified the proper county officers of the county of Mackinac shall perform all the duties appertaining to the said county of Emmet, in the same manner as though this act had not passed.


"The board of canvassers of said county, under this act, shall con- sist of the presiding inspectors of election from each township therein, who shall organize by appointing one of their number chairman, and another secretary of said board, and shall thereupon proceed to dis- charge all the duties of a board of county canvassers, as in ordinary cases of election for county and state officers.


"The county of Emmet shall have concurrent jurisdiction upon Lake Michigan and Green Bay with the other counties contiguous thereto.


"All the islands, bars, rocks and lands under water contiguous to the said counties of Emmet and Charlevoix and within the state of Mich- igan, not heretofore by any legislative enactment. included within the body of any county in said state, together with so much of range 4 west as was heretofore included in Cheboygan county, are hereby an- nexed to said county of Emmet and shall for all purposes be deemed and taken to be within and a part of said county.


"The county seat of said county shall be fixed by the board of supervisors of said county.


"The register of deeds of the county of Emmet shall, on the re- quest and at the expense of the persons interested, copy from the rec- ords in the office of the register of deeds at Mackinac all records of deeds and instruments in writing conveying, or in any wise limiting or affecting the title to any real estate in the county of Emmet as hereby organized, and the copies so made shall be made and deemed and taken to be original records for all purposes whatsoever."


The act was approved January 29, 1853, and was to take immediate effect. At the same time the towns of Peaine, Galilee and Charlevoix were organized.


The township of Peaine extended so as to include rocks, bars and land under water continguous to Beaver island. Galilee included all that part of Peaine in towns 37 north of ranges 10 and 11 west and south half of town 38 north of ranges 10 and 11 west. The first election was appointed at Ludlow Hill. The township of Charlevoix in- eluded all of the county of Charlevoix, and the first township meet- ing was appointed at the house of Galen B. Cole.


In 1855 it was determined to secure better protection to the Gentile interests on the mainland and to secure this Theodore Wendall and John S. Dixon went to Lansing and secured the passage of a bill reor- ganizing Emmet county so as to include its former territory except the


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